Pfitzer Pest Control vs. Defend Pest Solutions

Pfitzer Pest Control ranks #20 of 164 and Defend Pest Solutions ranks #52 of 164 in the West, with Handshake Scores of 8.5 and 8.0 out of 10. Both have locations on file in South Dakota. Pfitzer Pest Control also has locations in Wyoming, and Defend Pest Solutions in North Dakota.
This comparison sets their verified records side by side: the five scored factors, review platforms, BBB, contract terms, licensing and legal record. It draws no conclusion beyond the scores. The small numbers link to each fact’s source, and each company’s full review has the rest.
At a glance
#20 of 164 in the West
Pfitzer Pest Control8.5/10Handshake Score · Provisional. #20 of 164 in the West
#52 of 164 in the West
Defend Pest Solutions8.0/10Handshake Score · Provisional. #52 of 164 in the West
| Pfitzer Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Rank | #20 of 164 in the West | #52 of 164 in the West |
| Confidence | Low | Low |
| Provisional score | Yes | Yes |
| Door-to-door sales | N/Asee record | N/A5 |
| Ownership | Independent4 | Independent2, 4 |
| Headquarters | Mobridge, South Dakota3 | Sioux Falls, South Dakota3 |
| States on file | South Dakota and Wyoming8 locations | North Dakota and South Dakota3 locations |
| Record verified | October 27, 2026 | October 27, 2026 |
Our research
How they score
The Handshake Score is a weighted average of five factors, each scored from 0 to 10 from verified records. The percentage beside each factor is its weight. Each score links to the deductions behind it on the company’s review.
| Pfitzer Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Customer satisfaction 35% | 10.0 | 9.6 |
| Pfitzer Pest Control scores higher on customer satisfaction (10.0 vs. 9.6). | ||
| Complaint record 10% | N/A | 10.0 |
| Defend Pest Solutions scores 10.0 on complaint record; Pfitzer Pest Control isn’t scored on it. | ||
| Sales and contract fairness 15% | N/A | N/A |
| Neither company is scored on sales and contract fairness. | ||
| Licensing and compliance 15% | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Tied on licensing and compliance (10.0 each). | ||
| Legal and regulatory record 15% | 10.0 | 10.0 |
| Tied on legal and regulatory record (10.0 each). | ||
| Handshake Score | 8.5/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Pfitzer Pest Control has the higher Handshake Score (8.5 vs. 8.0). | ||
Pfitzer Pest Control had no usable inputs for complaint record and sales and contract fairness, so those factors were left out of its score and its remaining weights were scaled up to 100%.
Defend Pest Solutions had no usable inputs for sales and contract fairness, so that factor was left out of its score and its remaining weights were scaled up to 100%.
Workplace
We rate how companies treat employees from employee-review sites and wage-and-hour records. A workplace score is computed and carries 10% of the Handshake Score when there are at least 20 employee reviews on file (otherwise excluded and remaining weights renormalized).
| Pfitzer Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Workplace score | N/A | N/A |
| Neither company has a workplace score. | ||
Review platforms
Google figures cover each company’s western US listings; the average is weighted by each listing’s review count. Ratings and counts are as each site showed them on the date retrieved.
| Pfitzer Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Google listings in the West | 7 | 2 |
| Google reviews | 1,374 | 824 |
| Google average | 5.0 | 4.9 |
Pfitzer Pest Control 8 review profiles
| Platform and scope | Rating | Reviews | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| GoogleWyoming | 5.0/5 | 515 | View |
| GoogleWyoming | 5.0/5 | 76 | View |
| GoogleSouth Dakota | 5.0/5 | 254 | View |
| GoogleSouth Dakota | 5.0/5 | 214 | View |
| GoogleSouth Dakota | 5.0/5 | 120 | View |
| GoogleSouth Dakota | 5.0/5 | 3 | View |
| GoogleSouth Dakota | 5.0/5 | 192 | View |
| YelpSheridan, Wyoming | — | 1 | View |
Better Business Bureau
Pfitzer Pest Control. No BBB grade or complaint count is on file.
Defend Pest Solutions. Its BBB profiles show 0 complaints in the last three years; grades vary by branch.
| Pfitzer Pest Control | Defend Pest Solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| BBB grade | Not shown15, 16, 17 | Not Rated2, 10 |
| Accredited | Not shown | No |
| Complaints, last 3 years | Not shown | 0 |
| BBB customer reviews | Not shown | No reviews |
| Profile scope | Not recorded | Sioux Falls, South Dakota (3200 E Woodsedge St); BBB of Midwest Plains; no ND file found in BBB search for Sioux Falls |
| Retrieved | November 2, 2026 | November 2, 2026 |
| Profiles | None recorded |
Contract terms
Terms as recorded from the linked sources.
Pfitzer Pest Control
No contract terms on record.
Defend Pest Solutions 1 term
No pricing, minimum term, auto-renewal, cancellation fee, cancellation method or arbitration terms are published on the company website (home, about, services, residential, rodent and bat pages read).6
Licensing and registrations
Status and expiry dates are shown exactly as the issuing agency’s record showed them on the date retrieved.
Pfitzer Pest Control 6 records (South Dakota 2, Wyoming 2, North Dakota 2)
| State | Authority and type | Number | Status | Expires | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Pesticide Applicators and DealersCommercial applicator, individual license (South Dakota licenses individuals only; no company license exists). Licensee Garret Pfitzer, Glenham South Dakota, the company’s owner; categories G,4,8,12 | 8515 | Current (expires Mar 31 2027) | March 31, 2027 | 18 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Pesticide Applicators and DealersCompany roster (Company = “Pfitzer”): 21 applicator rows. 8 hold a current license (Frederick 19791, Lucklum 18636 [Huron area manager], G. Pfitzer 8515, T. Pfitzer 50935, Pfamatter 24621, Ostlie 22787, Sam 50374, Bauer 22862 [Clearmont Wyoming resident]); 11 rows show EXPIRED (former or lapsed staff) and 2 rows have no license number | Not shown | Branches staffed by current licensed applicators; expired rows are individual technicians, not a company lapse | Not shown | 18 |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA), Pesticide ProgramCommercial applicator, individual license (Wyoming licenses individuals only; no company license). Alden Good, Ranchester, Sheridan County, category 907X. The lookup shows no employer; linked to the company by name and town: the company’s Sheridan page names “Alden Good” as Sheridan area manager and the Chamber lists the business at a Ranchester P.O. box | 50357 | Current (expires 1/31/2028) | January 31, 2028 | 19 |
| Wyoming | Wyoming Department of Agriculture (WDA), Pesticide ProgramCommercial applicator, individual license, Teagan Pfitzer, Glenham South Dakota (“Out Of State”); categories 900, 901E, 903A, 903B, 903C, 903E, 907.G, 907H, 907I, 907J, 908G. | 101136 | Current (expires 03/31/2028) | March 31, 2028 | 20 |
| North Dakota | —Commercial applicator certification, individual (North Dakota certifies individuals only; no company license). GARRET L PFITZER, Mobridge, county “OUT OF STATE” (matched to the owner by name and town) | 10036609 | Retired (certification expired); the company has no North Dakota office | Not shown | 21 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Secretary of State (FirstStop business search)Business entity registration: PFITZER PEST CONTROL, LLC, Limited Liability Company - Business - Foreign, formed in South Dakota; principal address 12861 293RD AVE, GLENHAM, SD | 0000169181 | Inactive - Involuntary; Not Good Standing (AR and RA standing not good); inactive date 07/09/2020; AR due date 11/15/2019 | Not shown | 2 |
Defend Pest Solutions 7 records (South Dakota 4, North Dakota 3)
| State | Authority and type | Number | Status | Expires | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommercial applicator (individual license; SD issues no company pest-control license) | Not shown | Company roster (Company search “Defend”): 9 people tied to Defend Pest Solutions; current license for Steven Johnson (No. 50896, exp. Mar 31 2028, categories G,8,9). Owner Gordon Dotson (No. 21873) and Steven Ewell (No. 21871) show EXPIRED; Peyton Cambier (22384) EXPIRED; Jacob Kampmann (51386, categories G,8) has no expiration shown; others have no current license. | individual licenses expire Mar 31 | 11 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommercial applicator, owner Gordon Dotson (individual) | 21873 | EXPIRED | Not shown | 12 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesCommercial applicator, “Ewell, Steven” (likely owner Tyler Ewell, North Dakota record is Steven Tyler Ewell; individual) | 21871 | EXPIRED | Not shown | 13 |
| South Dakota | South Dakota Secretary of StateBusiness registry | Not shown | Not verified (search blocked by reCAPTCHA) | Not shown | see record |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State University Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program (certifies; North Dakota Department of Agriculture enforces)Commercial applicator certificate, owner Gordon Harrison Dotson (individual; ND has no company license) | 10173428 | Active; CORE, HOME-INDUSTRIAL, PUBLIC HEALTH, VERTEBRATE certified 06/05/2024 | April 1st, 2027 | 14 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota State University Extension Pesticide Certification and Training Program (certifies; North Dakota Department of Agriculture enforces)Commercial applicator certificate, owner Steven Tyler Ewell (individual) | 10173430 | Active; CORE, HOME-INDUSTRIAL, PUBLIC HEALTH, VERTEBRATE certified 06/05/2024 | April 1st, 2027 | 15 |
| North Dakota | North Dakota Secretary of StateForeign LLC registration (Defend Pest Solutions LLC, formed in South Dakota) | 0006685997 | Active, Good Standing; initial filing 05/29/2024; AR due 11/16/2026 | Not shown | 3 |
Legal and regulatory record
Only resolved government actions count toward the legal and regulatory score. Pending lawsuits, allegations and private matters are listed but not scored. Summaries are our researchers’ wording of the source; allegations are allegations, not findings.
Pfitzer Pest Control
No legal or regulatory records on file.
Defend Pest Solutions 4 records
Legal and regulatory score: 10.0/10. Records counted in it: none.
November 2, 2026 · Complaint summaryUsed in complaint record
South Dakota
BBB profile (BBB of Midwest Plains) shows 0 complaints and 0 customer reviews; business not BBB accredited; BBB rating “Not Rated”. File opened 9/1/2022.16
November 2, 2026 · EnforcementShown only
North Dakota
North Dakota Attorney General cease-and-desist orders page: no entry for Defend Pest Solutions, Dotson or Ewell (list covers 2018-2023 entries as displayed).17
November 2, 2026 · PermitShown only
North Dakota
North Dakota AG transient merchant (door-to-door) licensee list: no entry for Defend Pest Solutions, Dotson or Ewell.5
November 2, 2026 · LawsuitShown only
federal
CourtListener opinions search (default published-opinions results) for “Defend Pest Solutions”: no results. Docket and state-court records not searched.18
Keep reading
- Pfitzer Pest Control review#20 of 164 in the West
- Defend Pest Solutions review#52 of 164 in the West
- Is Pfitzer Pest Control legit?Licenses, BBB record and legal history
- Is Defend Pest Solutions legit?Licenses, BBB record and legal history
- The Pacific Northwest pest control rankingsThe full rankings, with every factor score
- How we review companiesThe five factors, their weights and what we count
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